On This Page

Filter

These are the filters currently being used to limit the search results. Click on the
icon to remove the filter.

tabling member › label

Biography information for Sir Nicholas Soames

answer › answering member constituency

Harrogate and Knaresborough

max date

2016-06-27

max answer › date of answer

2019-06-11

Sort by

This list shows the properties that you can sort by. Click on to sort in ascending order and to sort in descending order. The properties that you're currently sorting by are
shown at the top of the list. Click on to remove a sort and or to reverse the current sort order. Click on the icon to remove all the sorting. Note that sorting can significantly slow down the
loading of the page.

View

Choose what information you want to view about each item. There are some pre-defined
views, but starred properties are always present no matter what the view. You can
star properties by clicking on the icon. The currently starred icons have a icon; clicking on it will unstar the property.

<p>The Secretary of State discusses a range of issues in his regular meetings with
the Chief Executive of Highways England. I also raised the issue of litter on roads
with the Chief Executive at our most recent monthly meeting on 15 March 2016.</p><p>
</p><p>Highways England actively monitors local authorities to ensure standards are
maintained, as it is a local responsibility to clear litter on most of the A roads
on the strategic road network. On the motorways for which Highways England is responsible,
more than 150,000 sacks of litter are collected every year; an average of 411 bags
every day at a cost of £40 per sack.</p>

<p>There are no plans to legislate for car manufacturers to incorporate waste bins
in the design of their cars. Most cars already have a variety of suitable storage
facilities for drivers and passengers to store waste items.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria local authorities will
be expected to meet in order to implement bus franchising in their areas; and whether
their performance against the criteria will be subject to independent assessment.

<p>The Buses Bill will introduce new powers for local authorities to franchise their
local bus services. The Bill is still being drafted and it is therefore too early
to confirm the detail of the process that may be proposed through the Bill.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had
with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect of bus franchising
on the vehicle manufacturing sector.

<p>My Department has not yet entered into discussions with the Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills on the effect of bus franchising on the vehicle manufacturing
sector. My officials have however discussed proposals with the Society of Motor Manufacturers
and Traders.</p>

<p>Buses play a vital role as the backbone of our public transport system and are
key to a healthy growing economy. We want to see the bus industry thrive and are introducing
a Buses Bill which will provide local authorities and bus operators with a wider,
more effective range of tools to improve local bus services. The Bill will include
arrangements to allow commercial bus operators to work more effectively in partnership
with local government and other local stakeholders.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, the
Government decided that financial support for bus services provided through the Bus
Service Operators Grant (BSOG) system – around £250m a year - should be protected
as part of the 2015 spending round, preserving millions of bus passenger journeys.
Around £200m of that is paid to individual bus operators, according to how much fuel
they use in running their services. The remaining funding is paid to local authorities
to help support bus services in their areas. DfT is reforming BSOG to make it more
effective, and plans to publish details of changes to the system in early 2016. This
should improve the grant’s effectiveness in supporting bus services, and provide better
value to the taxpayer.</p>

<p>Highways England is responsible for litter clearance on all sections of the M23.
It carries out regular inspections to monitor the state of the network and to ensure
that they are complying with Environmental Protection Act regulations.</p><p> </p><p>Mid
Sussex District Council is responsible for litter picking the A23 trunk road, with
the exception of the section between Hooley to Central London which is the responsibility
of Transport for London.</p><p> </p><p>Regular meetings between Highways England and
the council are held to establish the most appropriate ways to keep the road clear
of litter. We are currently agreeing a new framework for working jointly to share
traffic management nationally which should be in place in Mid-Sussex and the South
East by early June.</p><p> </p><p>Highways England has also set up a liaison group
with Surrey County Council and other authorities to look at ways to prevent litter
being discarded on our highways and roads.</p><p> </p>

<p>Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Highways England is responsible for
litter clearance on all England’s motorways and a few selected A roads or trunk roads
for specific operational reasons. Local authorities are responsible for litter on
all local roads, including the vast majority A roads on the strategic road network.</p><p>
</p><p>Highways England is responsible for litter clearance on all sections of the
A1(M). All sections of the A1 in England are cleared by the relevant local authorities,
with the exception being of a short section of the A1 from the A1(M) junction 1 to
the boundary between the Borough of Hertsmere and the London Borough of Barnet.</p><p>
</p><p>Litter clearance of the A1 within the Greater London Authority boundary is
the responsibility of Transport for London or the relevant London Boroughs. Litter
clearance of the A1 in Scotland is a matter for the devolved administration.</p><p>
</p>